The Santos striker is one of the most sought-after talents in world football and has reportedly courted the interest of European giants Bayern Munich and Barcelona, the latter of which is understood to be the front-runner to land the star.

It had been touted that Neymar would require a move to one of Europe's elite leagues in a bid to further his development. Hulk, however, has offered an alternative view and believes the starlet should resist the allure of playing in Germany or Spain by opting for a move to join him in Russia.

"I think that he knows when he needs to change his club. He will do it when he needs to. I can't choose for Neymar. Only he knows where he wants to go, but it would very good to have a player like that at Zenit," Hulk told R-Sport.

The 21-year-old has been the target of criticism lately following a couple of lacklustre displays against Italy and Russia in Europe at international level, prompting some to believe the striker struggles to replicate his high standard of performances when crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

But Brazil team-mate Hulk has leapt to his defence and says the youngster's talent is clear to all.

He added: "Footballers are always subject to criticism, but the world knows how good a player Neymar is and knows about the quality in his game."